


Cameron's College Journey

by Midgard_writer



Category: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:34:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23017093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midgard_writer/pseuds/Midgard_writer
Summary: (After Free) Cameron is on his own in college. And, with his new friends, Cameron decides to use his independence and his newfound ideas of standing up for himself against those who only want to bring them all down.





	1. And So It Begins

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea a while ago, writing only one chapter, but I have been re inspired to work on it again. Enjoy!

In order to get everything packed up, they had to take two cars. Uncle Harvey insisted that he take his nephew’s car and fill it up. Ferris, who finally got his own car, packed it to the brim with his best friend’s belongings. The trip was an hour and a half and the heat was still rising. Yet, Cameron didn’t care. He was happy to have time away from Chicago. His unruly family didn’t have to breathe down his neck every five seconds. No more arguments and no more worrying. He finally felt as though he had freedom, a smile on his face at the thought of his new home. Ferris reluctantly suggested University of Notre Dame, knowing his best friend wanted to get away from the drama. He’d gotten in right away.

“I thought you didn’t want to be in a huge city,” Sloane mentioned from the back, eyes dodging all around.

“I didn’t,” Cameron glanced to the back,” but Ferris said that this was a good time for me to get away. Plus, they gave me a twenty thousand dollar scholarship. The less money I have to pay, the better!”

Sloane wished her boyfriend hadn’t convinced Cameron to go so far away for school. True, he needed to be away from his parents. However, she would miss seeing one of her closest friends. They were only five minutes away from the school but they could see the city clearly. Cameron looked all around, taking in his new home. He could get used to this place. Ferris glanced over, both hands securely on the steering wheel and a sad smile on his face.

“We’re almost there,” he said,” Are you sure you don’t want to turn back around and go to the local university with me?”

“Sorry Ferris,” Cameron laughed,” but this is my dream and it’s coming true.”

Ferris nodded, although he really did want to turn the car around. He would miss Cameron too much, he told himself as they arrived. He could see the look of happiness on the blue-eyed boy’s face. He could tell this is what he wanted...in a way. If his parents hadn’t been such awful people, perhaps he would have gone to school in Chicago. Of course, plans were changing and life would not always stay the same. They all had to accept that.

“What hall did you say you lived in?” Sloane asked. 

“Carroll Hall,” Cameron said just as they arrived to his residency. 

The group got out of the car and started to unpack. The amount of people standing before them was incredible. Trunks and boxes were all around, contents nearly pouring out. Some mothers were hugging their teens, crying about them not wanting to leave. Other mothers were calm and collected, wishing nothing but good luck to their babies. Fathers had proud looks (except for a few) and freshmen? They were just excited. 

“Welp,” Cameron looked around,” We’re here.”

“Ah, just as beautiful as I remember it,” Uncle Harvey sighed as he approached the group, putting down a box.

“You went here, Uncle Harvey?”

“Just for a tour. But man, it was amazing!”

Cameron couldn’t help but smile. His uncle had always been a guy like Rodney Dangerfield (in both looks and comedy). Out of everyone in his family, he got along most with the older man. He was there in times of need. He kept his head up when Morris and Sandy would fight, knowing how badly it affected his nephew. He hated to see Cameron upset, so after years of heartbreak and mistreatment, he was happy for him to get away. Yet sad to see them leave.

After Cameron got his room number, the crew went straight to work. Boxes and bags dragged their way around the halls and up into 202. The blue eyed boy sat at the door, excited for the new world before him. When he opened the door, he saw that the room had yet to be occupied. He was relieved to know that he got first choice. He set his stuff on the right, taking the bed that nearly hugged the desk next to it. The three others looked to each other, unsure of what to say. However, the excited college boy smiled and turned to his group.

“This is it,” he sighed. 

“I’ll say,” Ferris mumbled, glad he could go to a school close to home.

“Oh, Cameron,” Uncle Harvey sighed and slapped a hand on his nephew’s shoulder,” We’ve been through so much together. I just can’t believe you’re already a college boy.”

“Well, believe it, Uncle Harv,” his nephew said as he gave him a hug,” Thanks for letting me stay with you. And being a better father than my own.”

Harvey felt a great pride in his heart. He embraced the hug tightly, not wanting to let go. He knew he would never have children of his own, so seeing his favorite nephew leave him...it was devastating. Cameron thanked Sloane for all the sweet words and her various words of encouragement throughout the years. She smiled and hugged the boy one last time before walking out with Uncle Harvey. Ferris needed to be alone with his best friend. The two sat on the bed as they looked around. There was a minute of awkward silence, trying to figure out what to say or how to process the separation. Ferris, in a sense, was losing his best friend. The one he cared about for so many years. The one he loved dearly. He tried to hide the tears in his eyes, but Cameron noticed right away.

“Don’t cry, Ferris,” he said,” Everything’s gonna be okay. I’ll write to you.”

“Huh?” Ferris heard his voice crack as he desperately tried to wipe the tears away,” I’m not crying.”

“Yes you are,” Cameron hugged his best friend,” It’s okay. This isn’t the end for us, you know.”

“It is. You’re not coming back to Chicago, even if your life depends on it.”

“Ferris, you know I can’t do that.”

“I know,” he sighed,” I just wish that life didn’t move so fast.”

Cameron smiled and pulled away. He studied his best friend for a minute, happy to remember all of those times he was dragged around town. He had to admit it- he had fun. 

“You always stopped to look around- you never missed a thing.”

Ferris smiled as they stood up. With a last goodbye, the three went back to their lives in Chicago. They hoped to see their blue-eyed friend again- but they were doubtful. As for Cameron, he sat on the bed and looked around. This was his life now. He hated to leave his friends, but he loved the idea of a new experience. He needed to get out of Chicago and this was his only escape. 

“Alright, Cam,” he whispered,” let’s get to work.”

As he unpacked and made his bed, the door opened. Cameron looked over to find a young man walking in, two adults and a younger girl trailing behind him. His mane of black hair bounced excitedly as he pushed his suitcases in. His dark eyes glanced over the room until he saw the other boy. His smile grew wide as he tossed the bags aside. He looked happy to be in the presence of his roommate. He walked over to Cameron quickly, the other boy a little stunned by his overjoyed personality. 

“Hey there!” he said,” I was hoping you’d be here. I’m Charles Spadina. But you can call me Charlie, since we’re roommates and all.”

“Cameron Frye,” the other boy noted as they shook hands,” Cameron’s fine.”

“Great!” Charlie watched as his parents and the young girl put the boxes down,” Mom, Dad, Sissy- this is my roommate, Cameron.”

Cameron introduced himself to the father and mother. Charlie’s mother, a young Chinese woman, looked over to see that the boy was alone. She asked him, in a sweet voice, if his parents had been here to help him. Before he could explain, the woman insisted that she help him get settled in.

“No, ma’am,” Cameron insisted,” It’s alright.”

“Are you sure?” she asked,” Perhaps I can just-”

“Thank you.”

The woman smiled and nodded, backing away from from the situation. As Charles was saying goodbye to his parents, the younger girl came up to Cameron. He looked down at her, confused, until the tween extended her index finger to him.

“Charlie’s your problem now, kid,” she laughed,” Thank God for that.”

“He can’t be that bad,” Cameron laughed, but the girl remained serious.

“You didn’t have to deal with him for fifteen years.”

“But I can’t forget how much I’m gonna miss little Sissy!”

Charlie wrapped his arms around his sister, who tried to get away and became angered that he was holding her down. The siblings truly loved each other, but they liked to annoy one another. Cameron wished he had something so close. He could feel the love between the family. He wished he’d had that with his own flesh and blood. As soon as the hugs and goodbyes stopped, Charlie waved to his family and they went off, leaving their son to explore his own world. The students soon went to dinner, then home to get rest for their upcoming classes. Charlie, however, could not sleep.

“So where are you from?” he asked, putting up a poster. 

“Chicago. And you?”

“Right on!” he said with a laugh,” I’m from Pennsylvania. Out in Pittsburgh. I would’ve gone to their school, but I didn’t get accepted. I was dared to send an application here because of my buddy Scott. We were playing truth or dare on Halloween and I either had to tell this girl that I liked her or apply to Norte Dame. But it doesn’t matter- I’m glad to be here!”

“Me too,” Cameron smiled,” What’s your major?”

“I don’t know what it’s called, but I want to be a surgeon! They get paid a lot and I kinda need the money. It’s also great to save lives!” 

Charlie had his heart in the right place but he seemed...dense. Although he had high spirits, the stories he told about trying to pet wild deer and trying to swallow quarters were obscure. Nonetheless, Cameron felt as though he could get along well with Charlie. As they were hopping into bed, the dark eyed boy looked over to his new roommate.

“Hey Cameron?”

“Hm?”

“You never did tell me your major.”

Cameron paused for a minute and glanced over to the boy. He wasn’t sure what to say, but he knew he had to come up with an answer. 

“Truth be told,”he laughed awkwardly,” I don’t have a major. I just...I could never decide that I wanted to do with my life. It’s always been a hard thing to figure out. I need to discover myself before I figure out what I want to do with my life.”

“That’s what college is all about, man,” Charlie said with a soft laugh,” You just have to discover your passion and who you really are. Yeah, it’ll take some time, but once you find everything you could ever need. It’ll feel great.”

Cameron went to thank Charlie for his kind words, but the other boy had been fast asleep by the time he could speak.

Cameron sat patiently in History 104, his hands on the table. History was not a first choice, as he had some previously boring teachers- but this was college and it would be a new face for him. That, and he had to take the course for credits. The pens were organized neatly and his books were right before him. A few older kids chuckled, knowing how their behavior had changed over time. How they had given up and leaned more towards parties than studying. However, they would not diminish the hopes of a new student. 

Suddenly, a man in a typical professor uniform showed up. His patched elbow jacket and khakis intimidated the young students, but the blue eyed boy in the middle kept a straight face. The professor had a serious look, his tiny glasses scanning over the crowd. Doctor Cipher was a lot shorter than Cameron expected. He was, nonetheless, nervous. The man wrote his name “Dr. Andrew Cipher” on the board, then stood before the crowd.

“Call me Andrew, call me Doctor Cipher,” he said with a British accent,” As long as you don’t call me jackass, we don’t have a problem. Now then, history 104. Sure, it may be a requirement for some of you, but those who enjoy history are in for a surprise. Who can tell me what they think of when they hear the word ‘history’? How about the gentleman in the third row? Middle seat.”

“Me?” Cameron pointed to himself.

“Of course!”

With all eyes on him, the boy could not think of something to say. The professor gave encouraging eyes, hoping he could get something out of his new student. The young man said ‘Heroes’ and the professor hopped onto his desk, scaring some of the students. He gave a thrilled smile to them all. 

“Heroes are a big part of history,” he exclaimed,” I’m sure you’ve always been taught about the heroes of America and Europe and Asia and whatnot. They took history by the balls and led people onward! We have been inspired for years by such people. They have shown us the light of bad situations! Future generations- like yourselves- will shine the light on someone. One day, you will inspire people. One day, you will be an American hero. Not me, of course.”

Cameron and the others chuckled as he got off of the desk to pass the role sheet around. Cam had a feeling that he would love this class. Dr Cipher then began to write notes on the board. As Cameron started to copy them, he noticed the girl in front of him was writing quickly. The wavy black hair bounced as she scribbled furiously. She looked like she meant business. As they continued onward, her pen accidentally slipped her hand. It landed at Cameron’s feet, but she hadn’t noticed.

“Shit,” she mumbled as she grabbed another pen.

Cameron grabbed the pen, noticing the little bite marks on the cap. He looked at his own pen, knowing very well that it had bite marks as well. Before he could give the pen back at the end of class, she’d walked off. He’d seen her Wednesday for history- he could give it back to her then.


	2. One Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

“How do we already have this much work?” 

Charlie and Cameron were at their desks, already facing a giant pile of work. Charlie was tapping his pencil lightly on his desk, wondering if he would ever get past all of this work. Cameron, meanwhile, was reading a book that his English Professor assigned to them. She said to read Chapter 3 by Wednesday, but Frye was sure that he would make it past the first page of the first chapter. He knew college was gonna be tough, but boring? Especially on the first day? It shocked him. However, he knew he had to get his work done, or it would lead to his failure. Charlie looked up from his notebook.

“I already have a paper due for Composition,” he explained,” It’s about why I chose to be a surgeon.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Cameron mentioned,” How many pages is it?”

“Six,” Charlie sighed,” In high school, I would turn in two pages and that would be enough. I knew, when I left, that I was gonna miss it. All those times with my friends and talking to my teacher. Our high school was so close knit and everyone knew everyone. It was such a great community. How about you? Do you miss your high school?”

“Only the people,” Cam shrugged as he got to the second chapter,” I had two close friends that I cared about. Our high school sucked, if I’m honest. We had this terrible principal, but Ferris made the whole school tolerable. I only regret leaving Chicago because of him and…”

A loud roar of excitement was heard from the floor below. Music started to blast and more cheers came about. Cameron and Charlie glanced at one another, confused by the noise. Frye got up and walked to the window, looking down below. He found students all around, people with red solo cups standing near one another. Cameron shut the window, but even that hadn’t helped. They tried to ignore it, but it seemed to be of no use. If they hadn’t been extraordinarily loud, the roommates wouldn’t have cared. However, they knew that they had to study and all sorts of noises were not going to help. 

“Do you think if I went down there and politely asked them to shut up,” Cam started,” they would?”

“Oh, sure!” Charlie said, meaning to sound sarcastic. 

“Then that’s just what I’ll do.”

Cameron got up and walked to the door. By the time he was down the hall, Charlie realized that his roommate was serious. He followed after him, hoping his newfound friend was not about to get himself killed. They made it outside, where several people were going on. Cameron had never been one for parties, while Charlie was the exact opposite. Someone offered him a drink and he took it, following right behind Frye, who tapped on the shoulder of a tall, blonde woman.

“Excuse me?” He asked rather loudly,” Do you know whose party this is?”

“You’ve got to be a freshman,” she laughed.

‘Yeah?”

“This is a Josh Stapleton party,” she explained, eyeing a hunky senior with a small group,” he’s always throwing crazy parties like this. They get loud, and they get wild!”

Cameron looked over at the smooth-faced young man in a varsity jacket. The dark haired boy was smiling with his friends. There was a beauty about Josh that many found themselves glancing at. Charlie glanced over at Cameron, then back at Josh, intrigued by the way the football star yelled and laughed. Cam took a deep breath and approached the young man.

“Excuse me.”

The small crew turned to him, and even though he stood tall, Charlie was slowly shrinking. Josh looked over to Cameron and raised an eyebrow.

“Can I help you?” He asked.

“Hi. I was wondering if you could turn down the music, just a little bit?”

The football players let out a small laugh. Josh silenced them, a smirk on his face, walking up to the young man.

“It’s just a party, kid,” he said,” Don’t like it? Don’t listen?”

“Well,” Cam was growing slightly nervous,”You see, I—my roommate and I,” Josh glanced over to Charlie, who gave an awkward wave, “we’re studying and we-“

“Studying on the first day?” Josh laughed,”What’s your name, Freshie?”

“Cameron. Cameron Frye.”

“Well, Cameron Frye, the boys and I have been waiting for someone like you to say something. Freshman nerds always do. You know, college ain’t just about picking up a book and taking an exam. It’s supposed to be the time my buddies and I dominate the school. And you wanna know how we do that?”

Josh was close to Cam’s face by now. Everyone was watching as Cam gave a slow nod. Charlie could tell that there was about to be a fight. He slowly began to walk back inside, walking backwards. Josh raised a hand and slowly put one finger down. He put another down, and Cam took that a sign. By the time Josh had one finger down, they were rushing back to their building. Josh put his hand down and the small group ran towards the nerds.

“We’re in for it now,” Charlie yelped as they made it inside.

“You take the right,” Cameron said,” I’ll take the left.”

They nodded and ran off. The group entered, Josh sent two guys after Charlie, who was up one flight of stairs by now. Josh turned as he saw Cameron heading up another flight. The others went after him.

Cameron panicked and ran. He missed his own floor and ran above it. He saw that the crew was gaining on him and fast. Frye approached the hall and ran, heading to the other flight of stairs, knowing that they would all be up on the floor in a matter of seconds. 

“Psst,” a voice came out of a room with a cracked door,” Hide in here.”

Cameron looked to the door, then to the stairs. They were almost there. Without hesitation, he dove in, onto a beanbag, and shut the door. When he looked up, he saw a room of tie-dye and old records all around. The room had a stoner vibe that he wasn’t used to. He heard the crew stomping outside of the room, but he could breathe.

“Thank you,” he looked up to find three people laying around.

“Ay, it’s not a problem,” a tiny, curly haired guy laughed, laying next to a long haired blonde girl,”Welcome to Sophomore Central!”

“We saw you standing up to Josh,” A pretty-eyed, short haired boy mentioned as he helped Cameron up,” Man, you’re crazy!”

“I just wanted to have some peace and quiet when it came to studying,” he admitted,” Guess I’m not gonna get that. Oh, I’m Cameron, Cameron Frye.”

“Dusty Nicks,” The curly haired boy nodded.

“Miranda Lewis,” the girl mentioned.

“And I’m Justin Harper.”

“So,” Cameron said,” How do you guys deal with those guys?”

They all shrugged. They knew it was impossible to get through to the star and his friends. They were going to do what was best for them. They mentioned pranks, parties and problems with no limit. Cameron, with thought, knew they couldn’t take this. 

“We’ve gotta deal with him,” he looked to them,” With all of them.”

“How?” Miranda asked,” He won’t listen to anyone not popular.”

“Bogus,” Dusty mentioned.

“We just need to team up. We need to get them back.”


	3. Katherine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

“Does anyone have any idea as to when Hitler invaded Poland?” Doctor Cipher asked. 

Cameron was holding the pen tightly in his hand. He could see the girl in front of him was taking note. She raised her hand and announced the date with a proud smile on her face.

“Excellent work, Katherine!” 

Cameron looked down at Katherine, who continued to take notes. She was so into work, and he didn’t want to interrupt her. So, he waited until after class, holding the pen in his right hand and having anxiety build up in his chest. Once Doctor Cipher dismissed class, Katherine stood up and gathered her belongings. 

“Excuse me,” Cameron approached, causing her to whip around and almost hit him with her hair.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” She exclaimed softly,” I didn’t mean to hit you.”

“It’s okay,” Cam gave an awkward smile, holding out her pen,” On Monday, you dropped this. I was gonna give it to you after class but-“

“Thank you,” she took the pen, trying to hide the teeth marks, then taking her hand out,” I’m Katherine Little.”

“Cameron Frye,” he shook her hand.

Her grip was firm and the shine in her eyes was strong. For a moment, he found that the way the light touched her eyes was beautiful. She thanked him again for the pen and went to walk away. She stopped in an instant and whipped around.

“You wanna go grab some lunch?”

“Sure,” Cameron threw one strap on his shoulder,” So, I see you always taking a lot of notes in history. You must really love history.”

“I do,” Katherine nodded,” I’m actually majoring in history. I’ve always had this thing with monuments and places and people. Studying the past has always been my number one interest in school. It’s helped my writing.”

“You write?” 

“Oh yeah! I’ve been working on some stories, but they’re all historical fiction. But, aside from writing, I dream of working in a museum.”

As they sat down and ate, Katherine was talking about her dream and how a museum would be the perfect place to be able to work. There would be kids asking questions and inspiration surrounding her. Cameron didn’t mind that she was getting into depth about her career. He couldn’t help but smile when she apologized for talking so much. 

“I don’t mind,” he said,” I wish I had a major to talk about.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” she admitted,” It’s your first semester and not a lot of people know what they want to do with their lives. Sometimes, it’s the right course, or the right professor or the right assignment. But something’s gonna click and you’ll find what you love.”

Cameron nodded, but he couldn’t help but feel bad about not having a major. He knew, in time, he would, but for now, he was just getting away from his family. Katherine could tell that he was slightly distraught, so they decided to continue a different conversation as they were leaving.

“So where are you from?” she asked as they walked.

“Chicago,” Cameron mentioned,” You?”

“Youngstown,” she said,” in Ohio. It’s an okay place but I miss it. My family, my friends, my old school--do you miss home?”

“Only the part about the friends. They’re about the only thing I’m gonna miss most. Especially my best friend. Y’know, he’s the only true friend I’ve had—even if he was a pain in my ass.”

Katherine gave a small laugh and Cameron did too. He enjoyed her company as they approached his building in which they found out that they shared the same building. 

“Hey Cam!”

The two looked up to find Charlie waving from the window. He gave a thumbs up to the two. His roommate was embarrassed but Katherine couldn’t help but smile.

“I take it that’s your roommate?”

“Yep. A nice guy but I worry…”

“Ah,” she nodded, walking to her door,” Hey, Cam, maybe we can hang out sometime?”

“Sure, I would love to.”

She smiled and bid him a good day. As he went up the stairs, Cameron couldn’t help but smile. Katherine was on his mind and her words about having a major stuck. He kept thinking about them as he entered the room, finding Charlie with Dusty, Miranda and Justin all sitting about.

“Looks like you got yourself a girlfriend, Hot Shot,” Dusty laughed.

“Even if she will be,” Cameron set his backpack down,” that wouldn’t be for a while now. We just had lunch and talked about our majors. Well, her major.”

“Besides,” Miranda sighed,” our major concern is getting to humiliate Josh Stapleton.”

That’s what they were here about? Cameron sighed and put his stuff down. He had work to do and this was not something that would change his life. He walked to his desk and put his books down. He informed the crew that, at that moment, he was busy and had more important work to do. Though they understood, the four were huddled together to discuss what they could do. Each idea that came about was...a failure, to say the least. Cameron listened in on their conversation. They were all coming up with these awful ideas that were too stupid to believe. He’d only known these people in a short amount of time, but he knew, they were going to be friends and they would have to work together.

“How about we catch him cheating?” Dusty mentioned.

“Alright,” Cameron stood up,” we don’t want to get him kicked out of school. We just want to show him that we won’t be pushed down. That we’re all as important as one another..and maybe humiliate him. Now, what we could do is little pranks here and there, but then, we really get him.”

“How about at one of his parties?” Justin brought up,” He doesn’t throw them often, but when he does, almost everyone is there.”

“And that would work?”

“Of course!”

Cameron smiled down at his crew, knowing this was going to be very interesting.


	4. Prank One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

“So, do you have a specific plan yet?” Dusty asked as he walked backwards, just so he could face Cameron as they headed to Statistics. 

They’d been talking about revenge all week and they were still unsure of how they would take their revenge. Cameron was sure that they would have their idea ready to go for the weekend. They settled on a prank every week or so, leading up to the big moment where the little crew would crash the party. Cameron was unsure, so he gave a shrug as he walked on.

“I dunno, Dusty,” Cam said as they strode towards the hall,” I want the first plan to be something stupid and nothing too elaborate. Just some fun and-”

“Back off!” 

The two looked out and saw two of Josh’s friends laughing and standing by a boy. The young man looked like nerds usually do, with taped glasses and black suspenders. His pens were scattered all over the ground, his books still tightly by his chest. Meanwhile, on the side, Josh was blocking the view from a young woman, who, under a bunch of curls and red lipstick, gave an annoyed look at the football player. 

“I was wondering if you wanted to see that new movie that’s coming out this week,” he mentioned,” You, me, some popcorn, and-”

“Josh,” she said,” I know your friends are picking my cousin. You don’t have to shield that from me. Now, I know you’re really nice, but I’m just not interested.”

“Alright,” Josh nodded, backing off,” I totally understand where you’re coming from. I’m going to my Economics class and maybe I’ll see you around.”

He looked away from his friends and went off. Tanner was glancing at the two boys that were picking on Andrew. The girl tried to get them to stop, but they were too busy laughing at him. 

“Hey!” Dusty yelped as he walked over to the boy,” What’s so funny, hotshots?”  
“This little nerd,” one of the friends pointed to Andrew,” is supposed to have our papers done. But, he’s seems to have forgotten that.”

“Well, why can’t you write your own paper?”

“Because we’ve been busy,” one of the guys turned to Dusty,” We’ve got football games to practice for and parties to plan out. This nerd comes along and we know exactly what to do.”

“It’s important to do your own work, bud,” Dusty said calmly as he got closer,” Maybe, if you do your own work, you’ll feel better and you won’t have to pick on this kid.”

The jocks sniffed the air around them. They looked to the young man, noticing the smell that was lingering towards them. It made them both sick, but they didn’t want to say anything. Cameron was growing anxious. He wondered if those guys were gonna say anything, and if they’d recognized the Frye boy. Meanwhile, Tanner was helping Andrew get all sorted out, fearing that a brawl was about to go down. The young men glanced to each other, knowing that they weren’t about to let this get to them. 

They walked away, grumbling about nerds and whatnot. Tanner let out a sigh of relief as she made sure her cousin was all sorted out. She knew he should’ve gone to Harvard, but, of course, he wanted to stay local. 

“Thank you,” she said,” for standing up to those guys. They’ve been annoying my cousin since he came here.”

“Those guys are kind of assholes,” Dusty shrugged,” but don’t worry. I think they’ll back off for a little while. I’m Dusty. This is my freshman friend, Cameron.”

“I’m Tanner Evans,” she turned to her cousin,” this is my cousin, Andrew. He’s a sophomore, I’m a senior, so we know how they can be. Especially Josh. He’s a nice guy, but he’s tried to hit on me since sophomore year. But I know he hits on a lot of other girls, and I just get this feeling about him. Nothing bad, just...off.”

“Well,” Cameron strode in,” if you guys have been having trouble with the group, maybe we can offer help. Our friends and I are going to get some revenge on Josh and his friends. We need all the people we can get, so maybe you two would be interested in tagging along.”

“Only to get back at Josh’s friends,” Andrew nodded,” those guys are the real jerks.”

Cameron and Dusty glanced at each other. They gave a smile and welcomed the two. They even had the first idea on what they should do for their first prank. The two players glanced at each other as well, with Josh watching from afar. He crossed his arms and watched, unsure of what to say, but having the right idea in his mind.

“I’m sure you guys are just crazy!” one of the players told the three.

Josh and his two friends were working out with the team, discussing what they saw. Their teammates thought it was the dumbest thing they’d heard. Most of the players had friends from all walks of life, so knowing the nerds was not a big issue. But for some, like Josh’s egotistical best friends, being friends with the nerds was the end of the world. 

“You’ll see,” Josh grunted, lifting the weights,” Once they get caught, I’ll say I told you so.”

In the locker room, while the team was having a shower, the new plan was being executed. Charlie was holding the clothes that Miranda sacrificed for the sake of their prank. Andrew was lurking quietly, trying not to get caught. Cameron was handed the clothes and the other two stood around, being on lookout.

“Do we have a code?” Andrew asked.

“What?” 

“Like, if they’re coming!”

“Just say that they’re coming.”

Cameron glanced through the lockers. He had to find Josh’s. When he opened one and found the player’s clothes, he smiled. By the time they were done, Josh and his buddies were done with their showers. Josh called out to the crew, but all they did was run. Josh cursed at them and grabbed the clothes from his locker. But to his horror…

“Damn those nerds!” he yelled.

Unfortunately for the football player, he had to walk back to his dorm in a skirt that was too short for him, and a tank top with a row of flowers around the collar. If the outfit weren’t so small, Josh might’ve actually looked good. 

Charlie shut the bedroom door of their dorm after they dropped Andrew off at his room. The two were laughing at the adventure that they had shared. However, as Charlie talked, Cameron started to realize what he really missed. Ferris. Sloane. Their adventures and their ‘sick days’. So, after Charlie had fallen asleep, Cameron got out some paper and a pen and began to write to his friends.


	5. Next Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

“I’ll never forget my first trip to Germany,” Dr. Cipher mentioned to his students on Monday morning.

Cameron was listening to the lecture, but his attention was drawn to different conversations throughout the class. They were all about what happened to Josh and how he had to walk across campus in girls’ clothes. They were trying to figure out who would do something like that. Some of the guys were discussing how they’d been wanting to do that to Josh, but never had the chance nor guts to do so. One group of girls giggled as they admitted that they thought it was hysterical, causing the young man to blush, knowing they wouldn’t believe it was him. That he couldn’t call out anybody like that. However, he was satisfied with the work he and his new friends had done.

Once class was over, Cameron was packing up his belongings with his mind still on another planet. He’d almost walked out the door before a voice called to him. He turned and found Katherine, with a smile, walking up to him. The boy was shocked that the girl was waiting for him. He wondered if she had heard about what happened to Josh. When she turned to him with an excited smile, his thoughts were confirmed. 

“Did you hear what happened to Josh, our star player?” she asked.

“Oh?” Cameron asked, pretending to not know what was going on,” No, I haven’t. What happened?”

“Someone switched his clothes out in the locker room. Made him look like a fool in front of the whole campus. My roommate’s sister got a good picture too, I don’t know who it was or why they did it, but he kind of deserves it. He’s always making studying difficult and the year has yet to truly start.”

“Having trouble studying?”

“The worst. I was never one for studying in the first place. It all comes to my mind so naturally. But with all these distractions, even a study group doesn’t help.”

“Maybe another study buddy is just what you need,” he said with a smile. 

In his mind, he was overthinking it. He wanted to tell her who’d done the prank. He wanted to lok her straight in the eyes and give himself up just to see her reaction. Cameron knew college was changing him and his confrontation with his father didn’t help either. He wanted to be the hero...but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Especially not when Josh had friends all around campus. Right now, he had to remind himself of what he had just said. Katherine blushed and smiled at his words, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Thank God she didn’t slap him. 

“How does tonight at seven sound?” she asked,” I mean, a few of my friends are gonna be there, but if you don’t mind that…we’ll have snacks and things like that...”

“Tonight! Perfect!”

Katherine giggled and told him she’d see him tonight. As she walked by, Cameron felt a strange sense of pride. For the rest of the day, he held a big smile on his face. He knew he was already loving college and that he was moving on with, being truly happy. Even at the meeting with his friends, he couldn’t help but watch the clock. He was excited to be able to study and find another new group. Especially one with Katherine... He was making friends and the idea of Ferris and Sloane knowing this...it changed him for the better. When Tanner snapped her fingers, Cameron was taken back to the group.

“Earth to Cameron,” Charlie chuckled,” Are you okay?”

“He’s got a date tonight,” Dusty explained.

The group gave their ‘Oooo’s’ and ‘Awww’s’ as Cameron’s face was glowing red. He couldn't help it but he’d never been much with the ladies. And he hoped, maybe somehow, that was finally wearing off. 

“It’s not a date,” he insisted.

“Sure it isn’t,” Tanner laughed,” And this isn’t a meeting.”

“But it is,” Charles had a serious look on his face.

“Her friends are gonna be there,” Cam said,” Besides, studying is not a date.”

“It is if you do it right,” Miranda said,”Anyway, we have to pull our next move. Now, I was thinking we scatter his books across the residence halls and put him on a scavenger hunt.”

People were nodding and agreeing to the idea. Other thoughts were brought in and people tried to figure out the right idea. Andrew whispered something to his cousin. She insisted that he tell the entire group of his plan but he refused. Cameron noticed and decided that they needed the input of someone as intelligent as the young man.

“Andy,” he said,” Do you have an idea?”

“Well, I…”  
“Andy says that Josh is obsessed with his appearance,” his cousin explained,” He wants to create something harmless but that will make him feel...bad.”

“How about acne?” Justin mentioned,” Josh hates getting a pimple!”

“Or better yet,” Tanner mentioned,” Several pimples.”

“How do we do that?” Charlie mentioned casually,” His skin is flawless! It glows so well and his face is just...perfect! And did you see his eyes? Tubular. He probably eats so healthy and uses the best soap.”

As if the same lightbulb went off, Cameron and Andrew had smiles come to their faces. They looked to each other, as if they knew exactly what they wanted to say.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Cam asked.

“I know the perfect way to make soap,” Andrew brought in,” I’ll need the sweatiest, greasiest, most disgusting thing you guys can find. Something that’s bound to make pimples pop up.”

The others agreed to find something to use. They would bring it to the boy by the end of the next day. With that, the club meeting disbanded and Cameron went on his way. He was so excited to be going to Katherine’s, his books shoveled in his backpack and a smile on his face. He knocked on her dorm door and waited. A shorter girl opened the door, raising an eyebrow at him. He stiffened up and tried not to act nervous. Anyone in his shoes would feel the same way.

“You have to be Cameron,” she said.

“That I am,” he said.

“I’m Rebecca, Kathy’s roommate.”

“Is that Kathy’s boyfriend?” a girl in the room giggled. 

Cameron blushed as he entered the room. In total, there were five girls. Katherine was on the floor, her face just as red as his. But when her smile lit up as they made eye contact, Cameron’s face grew even darker.

“Hi Cam!” she said, gesturing to the beanbag chair,” Have a seat!”

“Thank you,” he said.

He sat down and began to sink in the chair. He shuffled for a second before giving up, looking all around the room. They were either judging him or waiting for him to put the moves on. Of course, he just wanted to talk and study.

“Cameron,” she said, trying to get out of a daydream,” You’ve met my roommate, Rebecca. On the bed is my friend Stephanie, on my chair is Marlene and the girl in Becca’s chair is-”

“Lizzy,” the girl interrupted,” So, you’re the guy Kathy’s been gushing over.”

Katherine tried to keep her friends quiet while Cameron was trying to hide his face. They were there to study and that’s what they were going to do. Every so often, amongst the laughing and reading off terms, Cam and Kathy made eye contact and they had smiles on their faces. It was a small connection but they felt at peace in the presence of one another. It felt so right.

“Are you ready for the big exam?” she asked.

“Oh yeah,” he nodded as he packed up,” We’ve got this...Hey, I want to thank you for letting me come over and study with you guys.”

“It’s not a problem!” she said,” We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Y-yeah!” he laughed,” I-I’m sorry. I didn’t have many friends back home and, since I came to college, I’ve finally found my place.”

“I know what you mean,” she said softly,” This was great. We should do this more often!”

Cameron agreed with a smile on his face. They parted ways and he walked across campus. He felt so relaxed and so at peace that he finally had what he needed. He stopped by the mail center, where he found a letter waiting for him. He opened it and read it on his way back to the room.

“Dear Cameron,” it was written,” We miss you! We hope college is going great for you. Things are great out here. Sloane and I are doing well but it isn’t the same without you. I’ve discovered that the field of education is the best way to go. I figured I could give some kind of hope to the students when they’re stuck in a boring classroom.I hope that your major comes to mind soon. I really think that, if and when you come back, we should all get together again. For old times sake? I hope this letter reaches you soon! From, Ferris and Sloane. PS, we weren’t sure if we should tell you right now, but it’s better for you to hear this than to find out years later--your parents are splitting up.”

Cameron paused for a minute before he entered his room. Divorce. It felt like a dirty word, but to Cameron, it was pure luck.


	6. Andrew's Last Stand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

It took two days to complete and a lot of grease on his floor, but Andrew did it. It was the perfect, most disgusting soap anyone could put on their skin. Just by looking at it, the cousins wondered if they would get pimples. 

“It certainly smells delicious,” Tanner admitted.

“But we have to be careful,” Andrew said,” Josh can tell when he is being tricked. We have to play our cards right. You’re right handed, right?”

“Yeah?”

“You can write a letter with your left hand. He won’t know it’s you and he’ll just think it was from a secret admirer!”

Tanner did just that, adding little hearts here and there so Josh truly wouldn’t figure out anything. She was nervous about getting caught but she kept her nerves together as she wrote. Once she was done, the duo snuck up to Josh’s door and placed the tiny package on the ground. They knocked twice and fled without another thought. 

“I’m coming,” Josh called as he went over and opened the door, wearing nothing but a towel,” Hello?”

He looked down on the ground with a half smirk. He picked up the package and looked down at the tag. “To: Josh. From: A secret admirer. For your perfect skin.”. He felt great pride as he walked into the living room of their frat house. Dean and Michael were lounging on the couch as they watched Josh open his package.

“What’s that?” Dean yawned.

“Another gift from another admirer,” he explained,” Looks like it’s some kind of cleansing soap.”

“Great to hear an admirer thinks you smell,” Michael laughed.

“They said it was for my smooth skin,” Josh growled as he walked up the stairs,” Pretty soon, I’ll be having the greatest skin on campus.”

“Sure thing, Toxic Avenger.”

The two laughed and high-fived each other. Josh ignored their antics and went into the bathroom. He took his shower and washed his face with the brand new soap. The smell was interesting and...oddly appetizing. Josh shrugged his shoulders and washed his face without a care. All while the cousins were laughing on the other side of the campus. 

TWO DAYS LATER

“I can’t believe those nerds would do this to my face!”

Josh had pimples appearing on every bit of his face. He tried to hide every bit of it with band-aids, but it didn’t help. At all. The only ones that sided with Josh were Dean and Michael, who seemed to have noticed the issues amongst Josh and the nerds. They had seen these issues before and they knew they had to stop this. But the rest of it team?

“You cannot be serious,” Angelo said,” There is no way a group of nerds is after you.”

“And if they were,” Ricky agreed,” You can easily beat those guys up. I mean, you’re not gonna take that from a bunch of losers, are you?”

“No, but if we don’t catch them in the act and I beat them up,” Josh sighed, slamming his locker closed,” Then I look like the jerk!”

“Then we have to catch them.”

Dean and Michael were right. The only way to end this was to catch these nerdy bastards in the act. Josh gave a sinister grin and decided that this was the right deal. But first, this was the perfect way to go. While they were planning this, Cameron and Katherine were relaxing under one of the trees, laughing about something that had happened in class. They had been getting closer and closer as their days went on and they could laugh and anything and everything.

“How about this?” Cameron took a breather,” My best friend Ferris, who absolutely hated high school, wants to be a teacher.”

“You’re kidding. Did he say why?”

“To rescue kids from a horrible place.”

“That’s...actually pretty smart. Ferris seems like an interesting guy.”

“Yeah, he helped me through everything. He was always getting me into chaos and teaching me a lot. He helped me when my parents were…”

“Are you okay, Cam?”

Cameron was quiet for a few seconds. His past and his family were life were so embarrassing and telling Katherine everything would just scare her off. He couldn’t say everything...but he couldn’t keep quiet either. He turned to the girl, feeling pride and anxiety in his chest as they locked eyes. Katherine was fully prepared to hear it all.

“Ferris was the one person that could get me away from it all,” he admitted,” I mean, my parents were horrible, horrible people. My father never loved me or my mother. He loved his cars, his money, his house--but never me. My mom just stopped caring altogether. She would fight with him when I was younger, but once I hit highschool, I think she gave up hope of my father actually giving a shit about any of us. Before I came here, I stood up to my father. It was the scariest moment of my life.”

“What happened?” Katherine asked rather softly. 

“Well,” he explained,” it was all because of something we had done. Ferris took me and his girlfriend to skip school and we took my father’s Ferrari. It was the one thing he truly loved and I was scared to take it out. But we did. Anyway, long story short on that one, I damaged it. Badly. But I didn’t care. He came home, we yelled, and then he realized that I didn’t care. I had confronted him on so much and he was finally realizing that. I haven’t spoken to any of my parents since that day. I’m sorry to bore you with-”

“No, no, it’s okay. I like to hear about you. I’m sorry all of that happened to you, Cam. You’re a great guy and you deserve far better than what you’ve been through.”

All he could was give a sad smile to the girl. He was happy that he came to the school and far away from it all. On the other side of campus, Dusty and Miranda were devising the next plan. The girl had the notebook in her arms as she walked. They sat down together in their Spanish class, not knowing that Dean and Michael were sitting right behind them. And the two were eager to help out their best friend. 

“I’m telling you,” Dusty whispered to his girlfriend,” Decorating the locker room is gonna be the ultimate prank. Andrew and Tanner agree with me.”

“I think it’s something Justin would be invested in,” She quietly agreed,” Besides, it’s not like they’re gonna be here for it. The team’s got an away game--they’ll never know what hit em!”

Dean and Michael smiled at each other. They had the group in the corner now. After class, they ran to find Josh, who was scribbling something in his notebook. He wouldn’t let the two see what he was writing.

“What is it?” he asked. 

“We overheard those two stoners talking about decorating the locker room this weekend,” Dean explained.

“Yeah!” Michael said,” They’re a part of that group!”

Josh had to let out a laugh. It was going to be coming together! It was the one piece he needed to start the end. The three formed their idea just as Andrew happened to be walking by. He had grown more confident since the charade had started and was willing to put up with Josh and his friends anywhere he went. Except when Josh grabbed the young man by the shoulder and walked along the path with him.

“Hey Andy,” he said, with a hint of venom in his voice,” How have you been?”

“Better than I’ve been in a long time,” he admitted,” Say, what happened to your face.”

“Oh, just a new soap I tried that didn’t quite agree with my siAny particular reason as to why you might be feeling this good?”

“Well, I-”

“We know you and your friends have been sabotaging Josh!” Dean growled.

Josh sighed and rubbed his temples. Andrew felt his chest tighten up. He was not ready to be punched in the face and he had to beg for his life. As he did, Dean and Michael were laughing hysterically. Josh felt like he could clobber his two friends at any moment. He looked down at Andrew, who was slinking down.

“Please don’t beat me up!” he begged,” Listen, I’ll do anything to have you leave me alone, please!”

“Hey, I wouldn’t do that to you! Unless you cross me.”

“What do you want me to do?” Andrew asked with a whisper.

“I know you and your little posse are gonna decorate my locker room,” Josh said,” and I need proof of that. So, I want a recording of that party going on. Otherwise, you are doomed. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, yes!”

“Alright. We’ll see you next week.”

Andrew took a deep breath and nervously ran off. What had he done? What had he agreed to? 

“I’m an idiot!” Andrew told himself as he went back to make sure his video camera was ready.

How could he let this happen? How? This would ruin everything! The crew had no idea, even as they decorated the locker room, they couldn’t see the camera. They had no idea as to why Andrew was silent all weekend, but his cousin was suspicious.


	7. The Plan Falls Apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

Katherine and Cameron were focused on history more than ever that morning. There was talks of old governments and how the new government was slowly changing with the current times. There was pictures of old leaders and how, nowadays, many of them would’ve failed to cause the uprisings and strong unions that they had built. Cameron was never one for new age politics, but the history behind it all was so fascinating. He never thought that history would be a subject that would hold his attention. Katherine, who sat next to him, was writing as fast as she could. At one point, her pen went flying and Cameron was quick to grab it. He gently handed it to her before she could grab another on the side.

“Thanks,” she smiled.

“Good subject, huh?” he asked.

“I’ll say. This is one I’ve been studying since sophomore year of high school. Governments are totally my thing. I got this really cool book collection for Christmas last year and it was awesome. When I was in our government class got into a debate, I-”

“Welp!” Dr Cipher smiled and clasped his hands together,” That looks like the end of class! Remember to study for the end of the week quiz and make sure to-Oh! I have your essays about your historical role models. I have to say--these were impressive and I’ve never been happier! Please pick them up on your way out, thank you.”

Cameron and Katherine packed up, fully intending to walk together. Since they became friends, they felt much more comfortable in college. They felt as though their lives back home were long forgotten and they could express so much to one another. Dr. Cipher smiled as they approached the door. 

“Well, Mr. Frye and Miss Little,” the professor pulled the essays out of the pile and handed them to the students,” It seems you both have a mind for history! Katherine, your thoughts and heartfelt emotions involving Frida Kahlo’s life and impact on the world is well articulated and worthy of an A.”

“Thank you, sir!” Katherine smiled.

“Cameron, I’m impressed. Most of your classmates wrote about Mussolini and Hitler...it makes me think that they didn’t read the assignment. But you? I was so invested in what you had to say about FDR and you got so deep into history.”  
“Thank you, Dr Cipher,” Cam nodded.

“You both have a knack for history, I’ll give you that!”

Cameron pondered his professor’s words as they walked out of the room. He had yet to find and hold down a major while everyone picked their own. History sounded like it would be worth while. Katherine happily chatted to her new friend as they made their way to get their mail. 

“You know,” she said,” Maybe Dr. Cipher’s right. You would be good in the history major.”

“I’m not sure,” he admitted,”It really depends--what could I do with the major?”

“Well,” Katherine replied as she walked up to her mailbox, which happened to be four rows above Cameron’s,” you could go for a history education major and become a teacher!”

“Maybe you’re right,” he said with a smile,” Maybe that would be for me.”

They shared a smile and opened their mailboxes. Katherine pulled out a letter from her mother, while Cameron pulled out two letters. One was from Ferris (which he would read later that day) and one from “That Guy”. As sketchy as it was, he opened the letter with the intent of finding out who sent it.

“Dear Cameron,” it read,” My buddies and I have received your gracious gifts. You and your friends truly are wonderful people. With that being said, we know every bad occurrence that happened to us this past year is your doing. We know everything that’s been going on and we want it done with. If you don’t stop these activities, we’ll make your Freshman year a living hell. But it won’t stop there! I have friends from all corners of campus in all grades that can put you and your friends through misery. Think about that for a while. -Josh.”

Cameron felt sick to his stomach. His face went pale and his hands shook lightly. How did Josh find out about this? How did he know? What would he tell the others? Just then, Katherine pulled him away from his nervous state.

“My mom told me to tell ‘my boyfriend’ hello,” she giggled,” She really think we’re together.”

“Oh!” Cameron laughed anxiously,” That’s a good one!”

“Hey,” she asked,” Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he stopped,” Hey, I’ll meet you later, okay?”

Katherine nodded understandingly, watching Cameron pull her into a hug and run off. She hoped everything was alright with him, but his expression said otherwise. 

“Guys!” he burst through his room, where everyone had been gathered,” We have a problem.”

Andrew’s heart skipped a beat once he saw the letter. His cousin eyed him for a second before Justin read the letter to everyone. 

“Bogus,” Charlie shook his head. 

“So...what do we do now?” Dusty asked.

“We have no choice...we have to drop our last prank.”

The group anxiously denied doing so, their cries and worries becoming outraged. Andrew said nothing but wiggled his way to the back. His cousin, however, was not going to hold back. 

“We needed to stand up for the nerds,” Tanner declared,” How are we going to do that if we just sit in the dark.”

“Look, I know this is gonna be a big problem for us! But at this point, I don’t want anything worse to happen and I...I think it’s best if we just lay low.”

Cameron felt sick about doing so. All of his life, he was pushed down and he was starting to finally stand up for himself. But now, he had nothing to do. As silence and anxiety rid its way into the room, Andrew had to go to class. But Tanner could see what was really going on.


	8. The Plan is Executed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

Andrew was cursing himself the whole way down the path. He shouldn’t have gotten involved in a thing! He felt tremendous guilt as he walked on. He felt a hand grab his shoulder and he froze as he was whipped around.

“Not the face!” he begged, only to find his cousin,” Oh, hi Tanner.”

“Left a little early there, didn’t you, Andy?” she asked.

“I...I..”

“What did you tell Josh?” 

Andrew realized there was no escape. He was fumbling and was begging his cousin not to say anything. His tears were enough for his cousin to realize that Andrew was scared. That this had been a scheme and he’d been bullied into it. But it ruined everything they had worked for. 

“Andy,” Tanner said,” I’m not mad at you. I get it--you were pressured to do this by Josh and those idiots. I’m not gonna force you to tell the others what you did.”

“You won’t?”

“No,” Tanner shook her head,” but I want you to think about what happened. I would tell them what I did and I wouldn’t let those jocks step all over me. I would go ahead with the party prank--but only when you’re ready to confess.”

Tanner walked off, knowing her psychology class was working its magic on her little cousin. Andrew stood in his path, wondering what he had done to the group.

Monday was here and history arrived. Katherine had been focused on writing but, even as she scribbled away, she could tell something was wrong with her partner. He seemed quiet and uninterested in the lesson before him. She pondered for a moment before scribbling something onto her notebook and sliding it over to him.

“Are you okay?” she wrote.

“I’m okay,” he wrote back,” Just feeling really tired. Didn’t get much sleep last night. Thank you.”

Katherine worried for her close friend as the class ended. Dr. Cipher was still speaking as the students shuffled out of the room. Cam had his head down and Andrew noticed immediately. He called out for Cam, who paused and turned around just as the others left. 

“Something is wrong,’ The professor said,” What’s the matter, Mr. Frye?”

“Doctor,” Cameron started off,” I’ve screwed up something that I thought was going to change everything. I worked so hard to be renovated and it’s come down to...well. I feel like if I continue to do what I’m doing, I’m going to end up in the same place I was. But if I stop it all and change my ways, then I’m gonna end up regretting it later in life.”

“Ah, I see,” Dr. Cipher looked down,” Cameron, many historical figures felt as though they couldn’t go on with their plans. Take Winston Churchill, for example. After bombings in London and the war dragging on, he thought it would’ve been easier to just fall at the hands of the Nazis! Ah, but that didn’t stop him. He persisted and persisted, and with these efforts, World War II was an Allied victory! You can have that Allied victory too if you keep going and doing what you have to for yourself and others.”

Cameron found that, even with the weird way the professor had put it, this was motivating. He smiled and thanked his professor before he ran out of the doors. Katherine was waiting for him and was surprised by his suddenly cheery demeanor.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

“Kathy,” Cameron took her hand,” You are the perfect example of what I should do with my life. You are amazing and I...I’m gonna be a history teacher!”

Not what he intended to blurt out, but when he ran away, Katherine knew exactly what he meant. She smiled as he ran towards his dorm. When he got there, Andrew was confessing his dirty little secret.

“What’s going on?”

“I told Josh what was going on,” Andrew admitted,” I didn’t mean to--”

“Listen,” Cameron stopped him,” It’s okay. We’re doing this plan.”

“We are?” 

“Of course! Look, I need to take a stand and so do the rest of us. We can’t let these people get to us and they can’t shove us in a hole. We need this...what do you say?”

“Hell yeah!” Dusty screamed,” What’s the plan?”

“We’re gonna follow the same protocol from last time,” Cam explained,” We need a way to distract Josh from the party...someone that Josh would hound the minute they walked through the doors.”

Everyone pondered about a distraction. Meanwhile, Charlie’s smile grew bigger and bigger. He stepped forward and turned to his friends.

“I’ve always wanted to wear a dress,” he said.

“And that you shall.”

The party, when it finally arrived, was packed. Students took to the lawn and the porch of the house. The popular kids drank and laughed at the abundance of conversation topics, unaware of the group hiding off. Miranda and Tanner were putting the finishing touches on Charlie, who’d never felt more beautiful in his entire life. Cameron watched the party, just waiting for the right moment.

As that moment came, Josh was busy trying to impress one of the chemistry majors, who twirled her hair and tried not to act interested. When she went to find her friends, Josh turned to ask Dean a question. Then he caught the eye of a tall drink of water that walked through the door.

The dark haired, full-lipped beauty that walked in made Josh freeze so suddenly that she noticed. He was blushing a deep red...but he had to act cool. So, he slicked back his hair, smiled, and waltzed over to her. But as he got closer, he knew it was one of Cameron’s friends. This was all too easy. 

“Hello!” he said,” Welcome to our party. I’m Josh, but I think you already know that.”

Charlie put on his best smile and batted his eyelashes. He’d never seen Josh up close like this...it was beautiful. Charlie shook his head, finding that he was getting distracted.

“You’re incredibly handsome,” he giggled,” Tell me, what’s a girl like me gotta do to get a drink around here?”

“Follow me, dear Jessica!”

Josh linked his arm around Charlie’s. Charlie felt his palms sweat and the night was changing. Cameron, the girls, Dusty, Andrew and Justin were in the same hiding spot. They spotted three of Josh’s toughest friends on the lawn. Though they were distracted by girls, the men needed to swoop in so the three wouldn’t go to the back.

“Is everyone ready?” Cameron asked. 

“No,” Andrew squeaked.

“You can do this, Andy,” Dusty said.

“We’re right by you, Buddy,” Justin mentioned. 

Andrew had never been called Buddy in his entire life. He finally had friends. This encouraged him, the three running out and making their way over to some of the girls at the party. Andrew was shy in his approach, but the girl he came up to was more than happy to talk to him. In fact, she was one of the junior girls in his Biology lab. Two of the less intimidating friends ran to where Dusty and Justin were talking, but when Dean came charging towards Andrew, who began to quiver, the girl stood in front of Andrew.

“Don’t you dare!” she shook her finger.

“But Mila,” Dean tried to reason with her,” He’s just a nerd-”

“You insensitive jerk. Andrew is a very sweet boy and he does not need to hear from you.”

As Mila ranted, Andrew staring in disbelief, Cameron, Miranda and Tanner snuck to the back. They saw the tinier roof with a window that had a window. He just had to be stealthy. As they were struggling to get the Frye boy up, Charlie and Josh sat down on the bed. Their backs were to the window and Charlie intended to keep it that way.

“So,” he said in his best voice,” Where’s the drinks?”

“Oh, we don’t have any, Charles.”

“What gave it away?” Charlie sighed, immediately giving it up.

“I don’t know what you’re planning. But I hate every second of it.”

Charlie glanced out the window. They were still struggling to get onto the roof. Josh was speaking and going on--Charlie did what he had to do.

“Are you afraid?”

“Excuse me?”

“Are you afraid? You always seem to hide yourself behind a tough wall, but you don’t need to. Josh, you have no reason to be afraid. It’s okay to be vulnerable. It’s okay.”  
Josh was offended for a split second. Then he realized that Charlie was right. Josh stared down at the floor, Charlie feeling guilty about what he said. He placed a hand on the jock’s arm.

“Are you...okay?”

“You’re right. I have no reason to be so aggressive. I shouldn’t be putting up this front when I know that I can be myself. I’m not always tough and I don’t have to be. I don’t want to always focus on my studies or on football, or even on girls! I’ve never even kissed anyone! Life is so short and I want to be able to do what I need. What I want.”

Charlie, shocked by this outcome, agreed. Josh went on, not noticing Cameron on the smaller roof. He was climbing up on the larger roof as Josh went to turn to the window. With a sudden move, Charlie pulled Josh into a kiss. Everyone froze, but soon the two kissing realized that it was actually...wonderful. With a smile on his face, Cameron hopped onto the larger roof. Charlie pulled away, the two making eye contact and smiling.

“I’d never kissed anyone either,” Charlie laughed softly,” Oh, by the way, Cameron’s on your roof.”

“It was--wait what?”

Cameron surveyed the area. He had so many words to say and how to say them was...bad. He took a deep breath and let out a loud whistle. As he did, Charlie and Josh came running outside. Perfect timing. 

“Attention!” he called,” I know that I’m interrupting your party but please, hear me out! My name is Cameron Frye. I, along with some of my newfound friends, have been the ones playing pranks on the football team. Especially you, Josh. And I’m sorry. Look, my friend and I may not be popular and we may look like pushovers, but we’re not! I can guarantee that we can stand up to you if you push us down. All we want is respect and an understanding of how we want to be treated. We, as geeks, are not going to stand back. Not anymore.”

“Somebody kick this freshman out!”

Most of the people agreed and simply went back to their party. Realizing he looked like an idiot, Cameron decided to get down. As he did and made his way to the front, his friends came up to him, joined by a small group. 

“Hey, that was awesome,” a freshman said.

“You were the ones who pulled the pranks on Josh?” a senior asked.

“We sure were!” Dusty laughed.

“I should have known,” Josh joked,” Cameron, Cameron’s friends, I’m sorry we treated you wrongly. You didn’t deserve to be bullied and I hope, in my last semester, we can get along.”

“I’d like that.”

Josh and Cameron shook hands, uniting the football players and nerds with a single touch. Afterward, Charlie and Josh decided to continue their conversation. To which Cameron and the crew couldn’t help but smile.


	9. In the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

Cameron paid more attention to history that Monday than anybody else. Even Katherine had no match for him. She glanced over to him, not having talked much to him throughout the lesson. He was worried that she’d heard of the weekend party. That she saw him as a nark or a nerd and wouldn’t talk to him ever again. These thoughts ran in his mind until she slipped him a note. Cameron glanced at the young woman, but she didn’t look up from her notes. He took the note and read it to himself.

“Meet me outside of the class?”

Cameron felt his heart race as he read the note. He felt as though the end of his friendship was coming. What would he say to her? As Dr. Cipher finished up for the day, both got up and left. Cameron took a deep breath and approached the girl, ready for whatever she had to say.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hi!” she smiled,” So, I heard what happened over the weekend.”

“Oh boy.”

“Yeah. Now people think you’re the ruiner of parties because you stuck up for nerd kind everywhere.”

“Guess that was kind of stupid, huh?” he asked.

“Not at all.”

Cameron raised his eyebrows. He was obviously surprised by the slight turn of events. Katherine smiled and began to walk onward. Frye followed, realizing that she was walking away. She was keeping him interested in what she had to say and she, hopefully, could get him to understand.

“I was bullied back home,” she admitted,” I was a quiet nerd that not a lot of people talked to. I was kind of forgotten at my hometown. Being the doormat was the worst thing I did for myself.”

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to be though--I made something of myself. I worked hard for a better life for myself. I understand your points about your parents, like you’ve told me before. I don’t think of ever coming back to my hometown. It’s not like there’s anyone really there...my mom’s always traveling and my dad’s been gone for a while. Others may not think so, but you are braver and better than you think, Cameron Frye.”

“You’re brave too, Katherine Little. Braver than I think I’ve ever been.”

There was a moment of silence, but both of them knew that there was so much to say. There was a feeling of pride and anxiety as they realized that they couldn’t find the words. One of them had to take the bait. Katherine decided that it was her turn to spoke about how she felt.

“I’d like to take you on a date.”

“What? Really?”

“Of course. Cam, I like you. You’re better than any guy I’ve ever met. I can’t believe I’m saying this when I haven’t even taken you out, but...I see a future with you.”

Cameron couldn’t help but smile. He felt the same way with Katherine. They set up a date and, as they walked away, Frye realized that he had to tell Ferris, and Sloane, and Uncle Harvey! As he wrote his letter, Cameron paused and stared at his desk. Charlie walked into the room, laughing and telling Josh he would be right out. He closed the door and went to grab his bag, but he saw his friend.

“Everything okay, Cam?”

“I told myself I would never go back to Chicago. But today, I got asked on a date by Kathy…”

“That’s great!” Charlie exclaimed,”Congrats!”

“Thanks Charlie. It’s just...so much has happened here in one semester and, by not coming back, I’m hiding it. I’m hiding the new me. I’m better off now than I ever was. I can’t let my parents define one town. My home. If this date with Kathy goes well, I’m gonna want to show her my home. I want her to meet Ferris. I want her to see who I was. I just don’t know what the right answer is.”

“There may not be a right answer. But whatever you decide to do will help you and your life in the long run. I can tell you miss the good things about Chicago--like you said, you can’t let your parents define your home.”

Cameron smiled, knowing what he had to do.

The winter approached quickly and harshly. As it snowed upon Chicago, the cab pulled up in front of the Bueller home. Cameron and Katherine stood outside, holding hands in the bitter cold. They looked to each other, smiled and went up to the front door, waiting for their future to change once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my story! I hope to write another story for Ferris Bueller's Day Off sometime soon.


End file.
